That Path That We Must follow
by The Labyrinths Scribe
Summary: The course of Destiny, the path that we must follow, is never easy or simple, and more often than not it is a path that we must walk alone. Emma falls through the void into the Enchanted Forest without Snow White, and must adapt to her environment to survive in her quest to go home. Full Summary Inside; M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**A/n: Yeah... I got nothing. Here's a new fanfiction that seems promising? This fanfic is Emma-centric, and the story revolves around her as a character as opposed to her as a partner in a relationship. That being said, I **_**have**_** paired her with someone: Captain Hook. It won't be for awhile, and it definitely isn't the focus of this story. Anyway, here we go! This story continues from where the second season premiere left off, with one exception: Snow White did NOT go into the portal after Emma; assume that it closed after Emma and the wraith went through. This first chapter isn't terribly exciting - it's set-up - but I hope you'll give it a chance all the same. **

**Summary****: The course of Destiny, the path that we must follow, is never easy or simple, and more often than not it is a path that we must walk alone. Emma falls through the void into the Enchanted Forest without Snow White, and must adapt to her environment to survive in her quest to go home. In the meantime, Storybrooke begins to tear itself apart at the seams, as reality begins to crumble in an effort to stabilize the co-existing worlds. Will Emma be able to return home? Will there even be anything to return to?**

**Thanks, and enjoy!**

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**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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"No!" Snow screamed as the portal came to a close, a lock of Emma's golden hair the last thing she saw. She lurched forward, her hands closing around air and smacking on solid ground. Her shoulders shuddered as a sob racked her body, her sweet voice reduced to murmured pleas and incoherent but palpable sadness. Charming moved forward to kneel next to his wife, an arm wrapped around her shoulders as he held her close. "This can't be happening," She sobbed into his shoulder. "We just got her back."

"I know," Charming replied, rubbing her back. "I know. But we'll find her again, Snow, we will. She'll be looking for a way to come back to us, and to Henry. We'll find her."

"If there's anything left to find," Regina said from her place leaning against the wall. There was no malice in her tone, no hint of mocking. She sounded numb, shocked even.

Snow raised her head to look at her stepmother. "She's alive. I can feel it." With a final snuffle, she stood slowly, leaning into Charming. Her tears halted with a shaky breath. "I can feel it," She reiterated, saying it more firmly. "And you," Snow said, turning towards Regina. "You are going to help me get her back."

Regina looked at her, and Snow could see the hatred in her eyes flare. "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really." Snow replied, her tone brooking no argument. "You have magic, and she got pulled in there to save you. So, yes, you are going to find a way to bring her back."

"Bring who back?"

Regina turned to see Henry and Ruby standing in the entryway. Henry frowned, looking at the general destruction of the room. "Where's Emma?" He asked, his voice getting quiet. He stepped forward to look around Regina, to look around Snow and Charming. "Where's Emma?" He repeated, a hoarse note catching in his throat.

Regina reached out to comfort him, her maternal instinct encouraging her to reach out to her child. Henry jerked out of her reach, tears collecting in the corners of his eyes. "What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything," Regina said, hurt creeping into her tone. "Emma was pulled into the vortex by the Wraith."

"But you can get her back, right?" Henry asked, his tone hopeful and pleading.

Regina frowned, feeling conflicted. With Emma gone, there was no one else to lay claim to Henry, and it was the ideal situation. But Henry was upset by Emma's absence, and would likely blame her if she didn't try to bring Emma back. She wanted her son to be happy, but if Emma came back there was no guarantee that Henry would be her son for much longer. "I'll try, Henry, but..." She trailed off, no longer wanting to say the possibility if it would upset him.

"But...?" Henry asked, straightening up. Regina almost laughed at his subconscious motion. Even as a toddler, he had always been a problem solver. His back straightens, his chin juts out in defiance, and you can see the wheels turning in his brain. Now was no different. He heard the 'but' as the precursor to a roadblock, and was gearing up to fix it. But this was something that even he couldn't fix, if it was true. If the Enchanted Forest didn't exist anymore, then Emma was dead, and nothing Regina did would be able to change that - not even for Henry.

"Nothing," Regina replied, shaking her head. Her eyes met with Snow White's over Henry's head, and she saw a glimmer of understanding in them. How Regina hated that, that self-righteous sympathy. Even still, at least for the moment, dealing with Snow White could be put on the back burner. By asking Emma to protect her, Henry was giving Regina a chance to redeem herself - and she was going to take it. Nothing except Henry mattered at this point.

Charming spoke up from his position at Snow White's side. "Don't worry Henry. We'll get her back."

Henry looked at the prince with hope, and curious vulnerability. "How do you know?"

Charming smiled. "Because in the same way that I always find Snow when we're separated, we'll find your mother. All it takes is a little courage and perseverance - both of which you have in spades." He said with a chuckle.

"Just like your mother, who will also be trying to get back to us." Snow supplied with a warm smile.

Regina looked down, unable to stomach their inspirational speeches. She was Henry's mother, which everyone seemed to conveniently forget. She just wasn't his only mother anymore. She sighed and smoothed her clothing out. "Henry, it's late. We should be getting home."

"Home?" Charming questioned, his tone sharp. "He's not going home with you!"

Regina's eyebrows shot to her forehead. "Excuse me?"

"Henry is Emma's son, and our grandchild. Henry should be staying with us." Charming affirmed, standing at his full height.

Regina's lip curled. Such a weak attempt at honor; such self-righteous notions. "Henry is my son, and Emma's by a certain extension, but Emma is not here. I am. If you want custody of him, then get a court order. Let's go Henry," Regina said gently, directing Henry towards the door.

"You can't just -" Charming made to move forward but Snow held him back, shaking her head.

"Henry should decide where he wants to stay." Snow said, looking Henry in the eye. "You can certainly stay with us if that's what you want, but we won't be upset if you would rather stay with Regina and sleep in your own bed."

Henry looked between them and felt his heart ache. He had wanted to spend tonight with Emma, and his grandparents, but Emma wasn't here now. He looked at his mom appraisingly. She didn't react to Mary Margaret's suggestion that he choose where to go, and seemed at peace to let him decide. "I think... I think I'll stay with my mom tonight." He said uncertainly. He was still conflicted about his mother. She had raised him and cared for him, but he had always felt a barrier between them - he never felt fully loved - and she had done so many awful things. Emma had been wonderful, and he loved her and recognized her as his mother, but, evil or not, so was Regina.

Regina smiled at him, a real smile, and politely nodded to Snow and her prince. "I suppose we shall speak in the morning,"

"Yes, we will," Charming affirmed, his tone curt but polite. "See you tomorrow Henry,"

Henry waved good-bye to them as he walked out the door, and thanked Ruby for taking care of him. Ruby ruffled his hair and waited until they left to speak.

"Is Emma really gone?" She asked tentatively, feeling indescribably sad. She had begun to look at Emma as a role-model and, on another level, a big sister.

Snow nodded. "Yes, to the Enchanted Forest with the Wraith."

"Is there a way to bring her back?" Ruby asked, hopeful.

Charming and Snow looked at each other, their hands clasped tightly. "There has to be," Snow replied. "There has to be."

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**-onceuponatime-**

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Emma groaned as she awoke, her back screaming in protest. Her head felt like a drum circle was going on in the inside of her brain. Her eyes fluttered open, squinching against the brightness of the light. Blurry at first, her vision took a minute to adjust. She slowly began to prop herself up, feeling every ache and scratch. It wasn't until a shadow loomed over her that she realized she wasn't alone. She coughed, feeling incredibly hot and parched in the desert-like terrain. She was definitely not in Storybrooke anymore.

"Stand up, slowly," The words were curt, and the tone was cold. Emma complied slowly, taking stock of her new companion. An asian woman stood a foot away, dressed in full armor, a sword pointed in Emma's general direction. Behind her, a woman - clearly nobility - stood peering at Emma with mixed emotions of curiosity and fear and, even, a little hatred.

"Why did you come here?" The warrior asked, looking at Emma pointedly.

"I.." Emma paused to cough, her tongue feeling like sandpaper. The woman behind the warrior offered a waterskin, which Emma accepted gratefully, taking a good swig before handing it back. She didn't miss the irritated look the warrior gave the girl. "I didn't mean to. We were trying to get rid of the Wraith; I got sucked into the spell too."

"So," The warrior's tone dipped into freezing. "You are responsible for the Wraith appearing."

"I guess," Emma replied, not seeing where this was going.

"Then I should just kill you now, and avenge Phillips death!" The warrior snarled, the tip of her sword pressed into Emma's throat.

"What? Who the hell is Phillip?" Emma asked, alarmed. What kind of world was this? She'd been conscious for all of three minutes and she was being accused of murder.

"Phillip," The noble woman began, her tone somber and her face morose. "Was my true love, and her best friend." She said, gesturing to the warrior. "He was killed by the Wraith a mere two hours ago. He was killed by the Wraith that you brought here."

Emma opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. It wasn't really her fault, and yet it was at the same time. "I'm sorry for your loss," Emma began, meaning it sincerely. "But...you have to understand, my son... The Wraith had cursed someone in my world and was set to destroy them. We had no other choice! If you had had the means to send the Wraith somewhere else before it could get to Phillip, wouldn't you have done the same?" Emma asked, grasping at straws. She took comfort in the fact that she still had her gun in the back of her pants, but didn't want to use it unless absolutely necessary. She could see her mark hit home with the noble woman, but noticed that the warrior was still struggling with the concept. Anger and loss burned behind those eyes; she was still searching for someone to blame his death on.

"She's right," The noble woman said sadly, addressing the warrior. "We can't fault her for protecting someone she cares about when we were ready to do the same. As angry as I am, it is the wraith who killed Phillip. Not this woman."

"She brought it here!" The warrior insisted, baring her teeth.

"It doesn't matter, Mulan. She is innocent. Lower your sword." The noble-woman said, laying a hand on Mulan's arm.

Mulan shrugged her off and reluctantly lowered her sword, turning away. Her eyes still burned with anger.

Emma nodded towards the noble woman. "Thank you. I am...truly sorry for your loss, when we sent the wraith here we never imagined that... We thought this world was destroyed. We thought we were sending the Wraith into a void."

"A void? How curious! Where are you from, exactly? You dress so strangely, and your manner of speech... It's unusual. Why did you think this world was destroyed?"

"Well, because of... the curse. We thought this world was long gone. I'm obviously from a different, um, world, I guess would be the best way to describe it." And a different time, to boot. "Wait, did you say that she's...Mulan?" Emma blinked, her jaw dropping slightly. Right. Fairy-tales were real. All of them.

"Yes, I am Mulan," The warrior replied, her tone calm and her eyes no longer blazing with hatred.

"I am Princess Aurora," The noble woman added, smiling at Emma. "And you are?"

"My name is Emma," She replied, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"Emma," Mulan repeated the name aloud. "And how do you know of the curse, if you are from a different world?"

"Some members of your...world were hit by the curse - though we assumed that everyone was, actually. The curse transported them to my world, a world without magic, and trapped them there for twenty-eight years with no memory of their lives here. I guess, technically, I'm from here too - I mean, I was born here, but... I grew up there. But the curse was broken yesterday, and then the Wraith happened and..." Emma trailed off, not sure how much information she should be divulging. "They all thought this world was destroyed by the curse."

"No," Mulan said, shaking her head. "Not all of it. The kingdoms the curse touched are now ravaged by evil - they are deadlands now. Year by year, that evil has crept into the other kingdoms. Now there is only one kingdom left untouched - ours."

"I see," Emma replied uneasily. This world was completely out of her realm of expertise. There was magic, and wraiths, and actual kings and queens. She swallowed uncertainly. She filed away her parentage for later use; being the sole child of Snow White and Prince Charming might come in handy later.

"Speaking of evil, we should head back to base camp," Mulan said, addressing Aurora, who nodded.

Emma stood by awkwardly, unsure of what to do. "Look, I'm new to this world and I'm not sure how to get home. Would it be alright if I came with you?"

Mulan looked her over and nodded before giving a sharp whistle; two horses came trotting from a few yards away. As Aurora began to mount, Mulan unhooked a coil of rope from her saddle and approached Emma. "Regardless of whether or not you sent the Wraith here, you are a stranger in our kingdom. As such you must be treated as a prisoner until you have been interrogated and found to be innocent. Elsewise, you must leave."

Emma nodded, her lip curling in distaste, but held her hands out to be tied. It wasn't ideal, but it was necessary. Emma closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She was going to survive this, and find a way home, back to her son. The rope chafed her skin, but she didn't complain. She walked behind Mulan and Aurora as they rode, keeping up as best she could. She had a feeling that this was going to be more of an adventure than she bargained for. Her attention was drawn to her locket, the only piece of jewelry Henry's father had ever given her. She wished she had the time to open it, to look at the picture of Henry as baby - the only picture she had of him - but knew that Mulan had no intention of stopping until they reached the encampment. She would simply have to make do with knowing that it was there, and feeling the weight of it against her collarbone. She would return to her son, and her parents. She would find a way, no matter what. She had to.

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**A/n: So, that's it for now. I haven't given up on my other stories; I'm just having a little creative stunting right now. Please review – they mean the world to me! Also, if you have any suggestions or requests, don't be shy about asking them! **

**I am looking for a beta to help with the read over. If you would like to be a beta, please send me a pm at your earliest convenience. I do have a tumblr, which I am on much more often than twitter, and a link there can be found on my profile. Alright, I think that's it for now. Please review and let me know what you think - especially about how in-character or out of character someone might be.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/n: Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and/or favorited this story! StarPower2009, x5-264, scifigirl10, latinbeauty008, hjbau, Blood Always Tells, SwanQueen246, luckymiko, thekeeblerelf, Beertjes, Brooke6406, TorchwoodIsAwesome, Welshbabe88, bronzesnidget196, fantasiadvd, kapuis, lastlovesangel, max33452, oogie0811 – I'm looking at you folks! Much love, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Also, still looking for a beta!**

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**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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Every fiber of Emma's body was tense. Her legs were sore and the soles of her feet ached; they had been walking for hours. Both Aurora and Mulan were silent during the journey, occasionally glancing at each other or at Emma. Though she was exhausted, Emma said nothing. Aurora was on her side, but Mulan was hardly convinced. Every time her gaze wandered towards her, Emma could feel the anger, knew that it was blindly directed at her. Any sign of weakness would be mark against her, and Emma already had plenty for bearing the responsibility of Phillip's death. Despite her wariness and utter discomfort, Emma was finding it difficult to not be enchanted by the Enchanted Forest. It was astoundingly beautiful. Their trek through the desert hadn't lasted long, and upon reaching the edge of the forest, Emma was glad that she wore her boots. The terrain was rocky, and the hills were steep. Though there was a clear road that they could have taken, Mulan refused to use it. She insisted that the road was dangerous these days, even more so than the hunting trails they were taking now. Emma took her word for it, but had a feeling that the reason they were taking the trails had less to do with danger, and more to do with spite. Still, Emma kept her mouth shut.

The night was bitterly cold, and Emma's shoulders shook violently each time the wind picked up. Mulan seemed perfectly content to freeze, and showed no signs of stopping. Aurora was well-dressed in a rich fur cloak that, Emma grudgingly admitted to herself, looked exceptionally warm. The trees were large and tall, and very, very old, their branches coated in a light shimmer under the moonlight. Emma couldn't be sure if it was magic or frost. Magic seemed to permeate the essence of every tree, rock, and gust of wind. For the first three hours that they had walked, Emma had felt the magic acutely, as a tingly sensation that started in the soles of her feet and made their way up to the crown of her head. After that, she got used to it. She could still feel it, could tell when they were in a part of the forest that had a little extra magic, but it wasn't nearly as annoying. Despite everything else that was going on around her, Emma felt most stunned by the fact that she could feel the magic in herself. Not in the same way that she felt the magic in the surrounding area, she felt it as a warm sensation within her. Not quite like butterflies in the stomach, or the nerves that came with it, just… warm. Unlike the rest of her body.

Unable to stomach the silence any longer, she attempted to draw Mulan's attention. "Not to sound petulant, but how much longer?" She was too cold, at this point, to worry about much else.

Mulan turned in the saddle to respond. "We should be there within the hour,"

Emma nodded and fell into her own thoughts again. Everything about this world should have seemed unreal, should have been foreign and frightening, but that wasn't what she felt. In spite of everything, she felt comfortable in her surroundings. Cold, but otherwise… comfortable. The place didn't feel foreign to her. Emma supposed that was in part because she was born here, but she had only lived in this world for less than hour before she had been dropped in Maine. She felt at home. She tripped on an uprooted tree root and cursed softly under her breath. Righting herself, she turned to look at the root that had tripped her. It was black and gnarled, more than scorched. Emma bent down to touch it, trying to determine if her eyes were playing tricks on her.

"Don't touch that!" Mulan all but shouted, yanking Emma away from the tree root. Emma hadn't even noticed that they had stopped moving.

"Mulan, what is wrong with that tree?" Aurora asked in a whisper, looking just as confused as Emma felt.

"It has been blighted," Mulan replied, her tone growing cold as they observed the tree that sprung from the root. It wasn't dead, as far as Emma could tell, but it wasn't alive either. The trunk of the tree was blackened, giving an iridescent shimmer in the moonlight. It was pretty, in a creepy kind of way. Emma moved to step back, suddenly feeling uneasy, only to find that she couldn't. She inhaled sharply and swallowed, looking down. The tree root had completely curled around her ankle, and it was tightening.

She lifted her foot slowly, attempting to slip her foot out of the curling root. The root moved faster than she imagined possible and clamped onto her ankle painfully, yanking her down. Emma shrieked in surprise as her feet came out from under her, the root dragging her towards the tree. Aurora screamed and moved backwards before any roots had a chance to grab her. Mulan drew her sword and rushed to Emma's aid, hacking away at the root. When Emma felt herself being cut free, her fingers reached to uncoil the root from her ankle but stopped when Mulan shook her head violently. She helped Emma up and the two moved back towards the horses quickly, Emma used the heel of her foot to loosen the coiled root from her ankle; it dropped to the ground and writhed. She felt a sense of relief wash over her briefly, her shoulders shaking slightly. It wasn't until she heard an inhuman, guttural groan that she knew that the ordeal wasn't over.

Looking over her shoulder, she saw two large, green eyes staring at her from the trunk of the tree.

"Mulan," Emma breathed out, her entire being stiff with fear, looking at her companion. Her companion wasn't looking at Emma, though, or the tree that was glaring at her. Following her eyes, Emma felt fear as she had never felt it before. Trees were awaking everywhere, their green eyes sharpening and glaring at them. The ground shook violently as roots began pulling themselves out of the dirt, and the trees began to lift themselves up.

Aurora clamored to mount her horse, shouting over her shoulder "Run! We can regroup in the glade beyond the forest line!"

Mulan nodded, giving Aurora a look of approval. In a split second decision, she cut the bonds around Emma's wrist. "Run, follow Aurora!"

"What about you?" Emma asked, hesitant to leave Mulan to battle the monsters by herself.

"I can draw their attention away from you and Aurora – I'll be fine, go! Take my horse!"

Emma swallowed and frowned, feeling divided. Her inherent fear of the monsters was struggling with her morals about leaving someone to be used as bait just so she could escape. She approached Mulan's horse timidly; the last time she had ridden a horse was ten years ago, on a farm in Tallahassee. And she had been riding with a partner. A glint from the saddle bags caught her eye, and Emma felt a strange pull in her stomach. Her instincts roared within her, tugging her to fight or flee, but pick one and do it. Emma chose flight, but not without Mulan. Uncertainly, she swung herself up on the horse, pleased that she remembered how to do it. The horse whinnied and pranced, seeming to sense her uncertainty. Emma murmured soothingly before giving it a gentle kick in Mulan's direction. Though reluctant to go anywhere near the vicinity of the walking, growling trees, the horse obeyed her command. Emma whistled to get Mulan's attention and swung low over the horse's neck, her left arm extending outward.

"Come on!"

Mulan hacked herself free and grabbed Emma's forearm as she rode past. With their combined effort, Mulan was able to pull herself up behind Emma, sword still in hand. Emma urged the horse forward into a canter, desperate to escape the woodland monsters. As the horse plunged into the clearing, Emma found her relief to be only a momentary reprieve.

Standing over Aurora, mouth gaping, was what Emma could only assume to be an ogre.

"Mulan?" Emma breathed, unsure of what to do. Mulan dismounted and began making her way to Aurora across the field.

Aurora, seemingly unable to withstand the terror and ever-rising likelihood of getting eaten, screamed. Emma looked between Mulan and Aurora, frowning. Mulan wouldn't get to her in time. Emma pulled her gun out of the back of her jeans and took aim.

**-onceuponatime-**

Snow White and Prince Charming walked hand in hand down the street in silence, seeming to simply revel in not having to hide their love. The streets of Storybrooke were at peace, but the echoes of the riot remained. Cars were overturned, front windows were shattered inwards, and trash littered the streets. It made Snow sad to see the town in such disarray. True, it was not really her home, but it was. It had been her home for the twenty-eight years she had lived on this Earth. She dared not even try to imagine what her homeland must look like with the curse enacted. Doubtless, it looked little better than the streets she was walking through now, if not worse.

She felt her Prince rub the back of her hand with his thumb, a soothing motion that felt as natural to her as breath. She could hardly believe that less three days ago, she had been willing to let this man leave her life. Of course, there had been major baggage to consider at the time – his wife, for one – but that hardly felt like a reason to her. How powerful was this curse anyway, that it should interfere with her life so deeply that true love had felt _wrong_?

"What's wrong?" He asked her, his baritone voice soothing and teasing.

"You mean aside from having our daughter ripped away from us, _again?_" Snow asked, frustrated and heart sick. "Regina. The curse she enacted… It made our love feel wrong, James. It made true love feel shameful. As glad as I was to have found you again, to remember who I was – am," She corrected, her voice conveying momentary confusion. "I was angry with her, James. Furious. Angry enough that for a second, I wanted, and was prepared, to let Whale's mob have her."

"And?" He asked, an arm resting on her shoulders. "Snow, good people are allowed to get angry too, you know."

"It wasn't just anger, James. I wanted to kill her for separating us, and for separating us from Emma – and that is what's wrong. It isn't right, or okay, that I almost let my rage get the better of me. We are – I am – supposed to rise above her evil tricks and manipulations and her hatred, but I almost succumbed to it."

James stopped walking and tugged Snow into his arms, embracing her tightly. "Well, I'd say that if you did want to kill her, it would be understandable. Regina has done a lot of horrible things to a lot of people, and has made every effort to tear our family apart on the good days, and destroy it on the bad days." He stated first, holding her gaze with a touch of humor dancing in his eyes. "And, I would also say, that she has failed. We were standing outside her mansion with the mob, and you could have let them have her. Tonight, when Emma disappeared, and she tried to take Henry, I was ready to kill her – I was – and you stopped me. You didn't succumb, and you didn't let me succumb either. She tried to send Emma home using every weapon in her arsenal, and she failed. Emma has been looking for us her entire life – she's not going to let go now that she's found us again. And now that we know who we are, and who she is, neither are we. We will win, Snow. We always do." He finished, kissing her tenderly, with all the affection he had ever had for.

She chuckled against his lips, sighing. "When did you get so good at making speeches?" She teased lightly, knowing his fear of public speaking.

"Oh," He breathed out, frowning. "Well, probably around the time that I was cheating on my wife, with my wife, and gave my wife the valentine card meant for my other wife. I practiced."

Snow let out a gale of laughter, a real smile lighting her face for the first time in what felt like an eternity. She kissed him again and melted into the comfort of her husband's arms. The two broke apart after a few moments, basking in the warmth of their kiss, before continuing on their way towards her apartment. They were a block away from her apartment when muffled shouts became clearer to their ears, and both stopped in an attempt to identify the source.

"Where is it coming from?" Snow asked, attempting to pinpoint the noise. "It sounds like someone's in trouble,"

"Hello!" James called out, waiting for a response. "We hear you, but we can't tell where you are. Keep shouting! Snow, go get the first aid kit from your apartment – we may need it,"

Snow nodded and ran down the block towards her apartment.

The shouting grew louder, slightly, and it was enough that James was able to figure out where it was coming from. He burst into a run towards an overturned car, where the shouting was muffled but definitely louder. "I'm here," James said, gripping the door handle tightly. "Just hang on," He heaved and pulled until the door grudgingly wrenched open.

"Oh, thank God," The man said, coughing. "I've been in there for hours – no one heard me."

James helped pull the man from the car and slowly pulled him to his feet. "No problem…?"

"Jefferson," The man replied, leaning against the car. He rolled his neck, attempting to remove the crick from his neck. He looked worse for the wear, but not too bad considering; a couple cuts here, a bruise or two there. Even despite his distress, or perhaps because of it, James noticed that he was clenching a stuffed rabbit close to him.

"What the hell happened?" James asked, unsure how the car could have flipped when it obviously hadn't hit anything.

"Wraith," The man coughed out, breathing heavily. "It came up from the ground, right in front of my car."

"I've got the first aid kit!" Snow said, running from around the corner. She stopped a foot away from the man. "You," She murmured, her hands falling to her sides.

He smiled at her sheepishly, looking somewhat nervous. "Snow White, how lovely to see you ag–" Snow dropped the first aid kit and lunged at him, gripping him hard by the throat against the car.

"Well, if it isn't my kidnapper, and favorite resident portal jumper."

"Kidnapper?" James asked, looking alarmed and confused.

**-onceuponatime-**

Emma fired the gun, aiming for the creature's heart. The horse reared and panicked, causing Emma to lose balance slightly and grapple with the horse for control of the reins. The ogre roared and pounded it's chest, batting Mulan and Aurora out of the way. Emma would have been more concerned for them had the ogre not begun to drag it's feet in preparation for a charge.

"The eye, Emma! You have to destroy the eye to kill the ogre!" Mulan cried out as she heaved an unconscious Aurora over her shoulder, trying to escape. Emma took aim once more, prepared not to miss. The ogre charged, and the horse took off. The gun flew from Emma's hand as the horse reared and turned away; she barely stayed seated as the horse took off in a gallop. Emma clung to the horse's mane for dear life, feeling her heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through her veins. The ogre pursued them, it's thunderous footsteps gaining in weight and momentum. The horse ran clear through the forest, ignoring Emma's desperate attempts to direct it elsewhere. It burst through the trees and stopped short, rearing backwards and backing up; they had reached the edge of cliff. Emma glanced behind her, heard the lumbering ogre a few yards off. It didn't know where they were. She stroked the neck of the horse, calming it down, and began to slowly lead it away from the cliff. It was as she was looking back over shoulder, appraising the height of the cliff and sharpness of the rocks below, that she had an idea - a dangerous, reckless, potentially life-saving idea. She was going to get rid of this monster once and for all. She unhooked the length of rope from Mulan's horse, the rope that had been used to tether her, uncoiled it.

"Go, go back to Mulan. Go find your owner," She said as she smacked the hindquarters of the horse and watched it leave, making sure that it didn't return. She tied the rope around a tree, pulling it tight. She tugged on it a few times to make sure it would bear her weight. Satisfied that the rope would hold, heart pounding, breath heaving, mind racing, she backed up towards the edge of the cliff and put her fingers to her lips and blew.

**-onceuponatime-**

Snow stood in front of the counter in her apartment, watching the coffee brew. James sat at the counter next to Jefferson, who looked incredibly uncomfortable and skittish.

James looked at him. "You kidnapped my wife?"

Jefferson sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "I was desperate. You think living in this town without your memories was hell? You should try living in it with both, for twenty eight years. Imagine that. Knowing exactly who you are, and where your family is, and being utterly incapable of getting them. I knew who Emma was when she came, I knew that she would be the one to break the curse. I kidnapped your wife to use her as bait for Emma. I just wanted the hat to work, to go home to a place where my daughter would still be my daughter." His voice cracked slightly as he murmured the last part of his sentence, looking away.

Snow paused as she poured a cup of coffee for each of them, an odd sensation catching in her throat. She placed a cup of coffee in front of each of them, placing the canister of sugar and the carton of cream in between them. "Well, that I understand," She replied, meaning it. There was nothing she wouldn't give to turn back the clock and prevent the curse from ever taking root. She could raise her daughter, and give Emma the life that she was supposed to have, instead of having Emma live her entire life alone. "But it still doesn't excuse holding a gun to my daughter's head," She said sternly. "Or holding me hostage," She mentioned as an afterthought, taking a sip of her coffee.

James stood and pulled the destroyed hat out of his duffel bag. "You can redeem yourself by getting this to work."

Jefferson glanced at it and laughed bitterly. "You have no idea how ironic it is to hear you say that. Haven't you listened to a word I've said? I needed Emma to get this to work – I can't get it to work without her. And furthermore," He said, taking the hat and turning it over in his hands and pushing his fist through the top. "You've destroyed it. I can't jump portals without my portal."

"Can you make another one?" James asked, taking a sip of his coffee.

"A hat? Yes. I can make a hundred hats – I have made a hundred hats – but none of them will work without magic. And, while magic has been brought to Storybrooke, it's different here – and I haven't figured it out yet. I don't even know where to begin."

Snow leaned against the counter, her palms flat against the counter-top. "I think I do,"

Jefferson sipped his coffee and winced, putting more sugar in to compensate. Tea was his drink of choice; Coffee was much too bitter. "The Queen doesn't know how to jump portals and I'd say by the fact that the town is still standing, she hasn't figured out how to use her magic properly in this realm."

"Not the Queen," Snow said, setting her coffee down. She was resolved to get her daughter back, no matter what. "Rumpelstiltskin."

**-onceuponatime-**

The ogre's roar indicated that he had heard her whistle. His thundering, heavy footfalls told her that he was close. She tugged the rope one more time, just to reassure herself. The ogre stumbled into the clearing, mouth agape, panting. His rotten, yellow teeth gleamed under the moonlight in a devil's grin.

"Come and get me!" Emma shouted, her body humming with adrenaline. The ogre roared and lunged for her, Emma let herself fall back, gripping the rope tightly. Hanging off the side of the cliff, Emma made herself as small as possible as the ogre fell over her and tumbled off the cliff, into the waters of the sea. She shuddered and began to pull herself back over the edge. Once safe, she undid the rope around her shoulder and slid against the tree, sitting there with her head in her hands. She was shaking. She breathed a shaky breath and let her hands wander to the swan locket at her collarbone, gripping it tight. Her eyes fluttered closed for a moment, thinking of Henry. She had just endangered her life, endangered her chances of ever returning to her son, to kill a creature that might have eventually killed two women who didn't even like her. Savior, indeed. She stood slowly, making sure her legs would bear her weight, before taking stock of her location. She began to make the trek back through the woods, grateful that the horse had mostly run in a straight path.

"Mulan?" She shouted, not seeing the warrior. "Aurora?"

The clearing was empty – they were gone.

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**A/n: Sorry it took so long! I'm still deciding how exactly I want all this to play out – I have lots of big ideas, and the story itself is so little right now… Anyway, thanks for reading! Please review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/n: A big thanks to all of my reviewers: Poetic4u, MusicalLover17, StarPower2009, DoubleDee068, Maiqu, scifigirl10, and RavenclawRebel! Also, thanks to everyone who added this story to their alerts – I hope you enjoy it!**

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**Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.**

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Emma took in a breath slowly, a pit growing in the bottom of her stomach. She took slow, deep breaths in an attempt to push away the feelings of dread in her stomach, and the anxiety attack she could feel constricting her lungs. She hadn't been close to Aurora or Mulan, hadn't really considered them friends, but they were the only people she knew in this strange world, and they had been her only link to getting home. She had no notion of the dangers of this world, at least not beyond Ogres or blighted trees. She had no food or water, no currency. She had nothing. She fell to her knees and felt the weight of reality dragging her to the ground. "Mulan?" She called out, her voice cracking hoarsely. Her head pulsed from the beginnings of a headache, a steady pounding in her brain. Her breathing was labored, exhales coming in short uneven puffs. All of her life she had been running – her flight had always been dominant over her fight, if she had the option between the two – and now she couldn't. She wanted to return to Storybrooke, and she would do anything to get there, back to her family. Yet, as she sat on her heels in the middle of the field, she wasn't sure she could do anything. At least with Mulan, there had been hope. Now, all she could feel was despair.

She took one last shuddering breath before standing, forcing her body to stop trembling. Henry was what mattered, and she wasn't going to let adverse circumstances keep her apart from her son. Or her parents. She had been in worse situations, she was sure – certainly similar situations – and she had survived. She took several deep, steady breaths before once again observing her surroundings. She recognized where she was, and the way they had been traveling. She was grateful for the moonlight; traveling otherwise would have been impossible. With little else than a vague sense of direction and the path of the setting moon to guide her, Emma began to walk in the direction they had been heading. Mulan had said that they were about an hour away from camp. Logically, if Emma walked at the same pace for about an hour, she could at least come within the same vicinity as the camp. It was a long shot but it was all she had to go on.

Her eyes drifted close every once and awhile as she trudged through the woods; she was exhausted. She didn't dare close her eyes for long for fear of the trees coming to life again. For the time she walked, everything was quiet. The woods seemed to be of the normal sort, even despite the magic clinging to their leaves. She was still cold, perhaps even colder than before, but she walked on. It was only when she heard the screaming that she started to run. The faster she ran, the louder the screams, and the brighter the blaze; the trees were on fire, and they were screaming too. People ran past her as she ran forward, and she didn't dare attempt to stop them. "Mulan?" She shouted, searching. "Aurora?"

As she moved through the fleeing crowd, she couldn't help but wonder if it was comparable to swimming against the current. The village, a pretty sizeable one, it looked like, was being razed. Thatched roofs were burning as the homes and shops were being looted by thugs. Emma felt her lips press into a thin line, a lump in her throat. She wanted to help, she wanted to get justice for these people – whether that was because of Henry, or her Sheriff's badge, or parent's influence, she didn't know. She felt their pain acutely but quashed the desire to interfere; she had a kid to get back to, and getting herself killed wasn't the way to do that. Dealing with the Ogre had reminded her of that.

"Let go of me! Help! Mulan!"

Emma turned and saw Aurora being forced into the back of a wagon, her wrists bound by rope. She looked around at the mass chaos and sought out Mulan's features, her armor – anything. Seeing nothing, Emma knew she had no choice – she may not have counted her as a friend, but Emma felt confident that Aurora was going to help her get back to Storybrooke – she had no other hope, and she wasn't letting it go.

She strode towards the two thugs hauling Aurora in the wagon and felt the fingers on her right hand curl into a tight fist.

**-onceuponatime-**

Regina sat in her study, a glass of wine in her hands, as she stared into the flames licking out of her fireplace. She couldn't quite pinpoint the moment everything had gone to hell – couldn't decide if it was when Emma had come to Storybrooke, or when Henry got ahold of that accursed book. She looked at the wine in her hands and took another sip, resisting the urge to down it all in a single gulp as the crude populous often did. Her one consolation, after being marked for death and forcibly removed from her office – again – was that Henry had chosen to come home with her. He didn't hate her, that much was evident by his request that Emma protect her. She hadn't lost him.

"Yet," She murmured allowed, rubbing her temples. And she almost had. He was in his room now, doing homework. They hadn't spoken on their drive back home, and Regina was kind of glad for it. She wasn't sure she had words to explain to her son her motivations behind her actions – the memory of Daniel, of Snow's betrayal, was still painful enough in the back of her mind let alone the front of it. And she didn't want to subject Henry to more of her pain than was absolutely necessary. She had never meant for him to find out, about the curse or anything – at least not until he was much, much older. She had meant for him to have a happy childhood, untouched by the cold reality and harshness that she had experienced. She set the glass of wine down on the coffee table, her contemplative mood drawing her line of thought and vision to the bookshelf by her desk.

She stood and made her way to stand in front of it, her fingers tracing the old leather bindings. She swallowed when her fingers came to rest on one particular book, the cover faded to a deep black with a purplish hue. This book had belonged to her mother, her first magic book, the book that started it all. Regina swallowed and hesitantly pulled it from the shelf. The book of spells was ultimately harmless, the enchantments inside the most basic, the most harmless – the original intent of them to be used for self-defense. Her mother may not have been born evil, but it wasn't magic that corrupted her – it was greed, and jealousy, that corrupted her. Resolved, she held the book in her arms and left her study, taking the stairs slowly.

Pausing outside his door, she knocked twice. "Henry?" She asked, her voice uncertain.

"Yeah?" He asked, sounding defensive and uncertain himself.

She opened the door and gave him a half smile; he was sitting on his bed, his math homework in his lap. "I wanted to talk to you about something," She began, waiting for his acquiescence.

"Okay?" He replied questioningly, not seeing where this was going.

"I love you," She said, prefacing what she was about to say. "More than life itself, Henry, I love you – no matter what they say, or what it might seem like. I love you." She smiled at him, blinking back tears at his lack of response. "And it is because I love you, that I swear to you: I am going to do everything I can, use every resource in my power, to bring Emma back to you."

"Really?" The reluctant hope in his voice made her smile, felt his hope reach into her heart and make her feel it too.

"Yes, really. I was reluctant to acknowledge Emma having a place in your life because I love you, and I don't want to lose you. I've done a lot of… bad things, Henry. You know that. But the one good thing that I have ever done, the one good thing that I have in my life, is you. And I don't want to lose you."

Henry moved forward slightly as though to hug her, but sat back after a moment, frowning. "You… you made me feel like I was crazy." He admitted, his voice betraying how hurt he felt.

Regina's eyes drifted close for a moment, regret pinching her soul. "I know," She whispered, sighing. "And I'm sorry. I am so, so sorry, Henry. I was afraid… that if the curse was broken, they would come after me. I was afraid that something bad would happen to you, maybe even that you would be taken away from me."

She cleared her throat before setting the magic book on the bed. "I know that I've made a lot of mistakes, Henry, and I'm sorry. The only thing I can do now is try to make it up to you," She said, sliding the book across the bed. "This is an Elementary book of spells – very basic things, nothing dark or dangerous, but something to get you started if you want to learn."

"Learn magic?" He asked, sitting up a little straighter, intrigued by the proposal.

Regina smiled and nodded eagerly. "Now that you know everything, and now that I don't have to try and convince you that magic doesn't exist, you can learn. And honestly," She leaned a little closer. "I may need your help to get Emma back."

"My help?" Henry asked, paying rapt attention.

"Yes. You see, magic doesn't exactly work the same way in this world that it did in the Enchanted Forest. I can't quite get it to work properly. If we're going to get her back, we're going to need the magic to work. I think that part of my problem, is that I am too experienced. I'm too set in my ways, in my magical habits, to adapt well to this world's brand of magic."

"But I'm not," Henry finished, nodding. He eyed her with suspicion. "This is to get Emma back?"

"Yes," Regina replied truthfully. "To get Emma back, and make you happy."

Henry was silent on this, and glanced down at the book in front of him. His fingers grazed the cover of the book, the leather feeling tough and worn to the pads of his fingers. He felt a tingle shoot up his arm, a kind of pleasant-numbness; magic. He opened the cover and turned to the first page.

**-onceuponatime-**

"Look," Jefferson said, finishing his coffee. "As much as I want to help you get your family back, because I understand, I really do, but I need sleep, and so do you. It's been a long day, evening, whatever, for everyone. We can start fresh in the morning."

James nodded reluctantly, "He's right, Snow. We won't be able to get much done if we're dead on our feet."

Snow sighed and collected the dishes, the knot in her stomach tightening. She turned to look at Jefferson, observing his ragged appearance. "You were on your way to your daughter, weren't you? When the wraith made you crash your car?"

Jefferson gave a bitter chuckle. "Yes, I was."

"How can you stand it? She knows who you are now, knows who she is. She's probably waiting for you. How can you stand not going to her?"

A less intelligent man would have been offended by her questions, would have been defensive even, but Jefferson got the feeling that the questions had less to do with him than they did with her. "Well, in my case, my plan has kind of gone to pot," He replied with a chuckle. "It's almost midnight, and she has school tomorrow, and I look like I've gotten into a row with the pavement and lost – which I did," He said as an afterthought. "I want things to be right when I see her again. I want to look presentable and not completely insane. I want to actually have time to talk to her."

He pulled on his coat, wrapping his scarf around his neck and adjusting to hide the scar of his beheading. "In your case, I think you need recognize that you're not in a position to go to Emma right now. And I've been there, and it isn't easy, but driving yourself crazy isn't going to help. Believe me, I know," He gave her a half smile. "Get a goodnights sleep and start again in the morning, when you feel less overwhelmed by everything and have a better plan. Rumpelstiltskin doesn't give anything for free, and you may need to consider the price of what you're asking before you agree to pay it."

He opened the door and stepped into the hallway, glancing back. "And have a little more faith in Emma. She's a resourceful woman, and not exactly a damsel in distress. She'll be alright." He closed the door behind him.

Snow turned back to the dishes, her fingers clenching around the sponge. She felt him behind her and turned around, leaning against the sink. He chuckled and gently pried her fingers open, away from the sponge. She let it go after a moment, her fingers beginning to cramp up. He hugged her close and kissed her forehead. "She'll be okay,"

She pulled back and looked at him. "I know that, I do, but… our world is so different and so much more dangerous than this one. She doesn't know anything, James! She doesn't know what kind of monsters exist or how to use a sword or a bow, or how to dress, how to speak, what kind of currency there is!" The knot in her stomach clenched further, making her heart flutter in distress.

James sighed and released her, leaning back against the counter-island. "Yes, all of those things are true… But I think that Jefferson was right about having more faith. Emma grew up without us in this world, Snow. She survived the foster care system. She got pregnant, and realized that she wasn't ready to be a mother or care for her child, and she did the responsible thing. And then she survived. She made a career for herself, and she survived. Besides from already proving that she's capable of doing what it takes to survive, she's strong Snow. I see so much of you in her – how can she not be alright?"

Snow laughed, sniffling slightly. "I just… we just got her back, and now she is facing an entirely new world alone – again."

He frowned, looking at her more intensely. "Snow… we didn't abandon her. We didn't have a choice when she was a baby, and we sure as hell didn't have a choice now."

"Didn't we, though?" Snow asked, swallowing a bitter note. "We could have kept her with us, and even though she might have been under the curse too, that's not to say that she wouldn't have still broken the curse. And tonight, we could have just let the wraith have Regina."

"You don't mean that, Snow," James replied, shaking his head.

"Yes, I do," Snow choked out. "If we had let the wraith have Regina, Emma would still be here. And Regina, the woman who ruined our lives – everyone's lives – would be dead, and wouldn't be able to hurt anyone ever again. Emma would have Henry, and this town would be free, and we would be together again."

"Maybe," James acquiesced, crossing his arms. "But what would that decision have made us? What kind of example would we be setting for Emma, or Henry? Doing nothing would have been just as bad swinging the axe, and then we would be no better than her. It would have been easier, but that doesn't mean it would have been right."

Snow sighed and nodded. "I know… I know. I just want her back."

"Me too," James stepped forward and hugged her again, kissing the top of her head. Snow reveled in the comfort of her husband's arms, in the scent of his cologne, in the familiarity of it all. She tilted her head up, looking into his eyes. She could see his soul, just as good and pure as it had ever been, just as full of love for her as the first time that they met. Pure adoration, and true love. Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed him sweetly, recalling how long it had been since she had felt this certain about anything. Her affair with David had been full of uncertainty, her feelings of true love coupled with her feelings of guilt. None of that mattered right now, when she was standing with the man she loved. She slid his jacket off of his shoulders, the tips of fingers trailing over his broad shoulders and winding around the back of his neck.

"Is this the right time for this?" He asked against her lips, forehead leaning against hers. "Not that I'm complaining," He smiled.

She smiled in kind. "We have been apart for twenty-eight years, and our daughter is missing, and nothing else makes much sense right now. Now that we remember who we are, we're caught between worlds. I am Queen Snow White, and I am also school-teacher Mary Margaret, and both of my lives have been filled with uncertainty. The one constant thing in both of them, however, is how much I love you. Henry is staying with Regina, and Emma is, at least right now, not home, so we have the apartment to ourselves. I would say that now is perfect time." She replied kissing him again. He obliged and pulled her closer, one hand cradling the back of her neck, and the other wrapping around her waist.

"And Whale?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

She paused only for a moment to grin and say "He's got nothing on you," With a chuckle on the heels of her sentence.

**-onceuponatime-**

Emma tapped the first thug on the shoulder, watching him turn, and delivered an uppercut to his chin. The thug staggered backwards, shock on his face. Emma delivered a kick to his abdomen and watched him fall backwards on his rear. The second thug, seeing his compatriot fall to the ground lunged at her with his arms outstretched. Emma stepped forward into his lunge, extending the heel of her hand towards his nose with surprising speed. She heard a satisfying crunch and shriek of pain, and kneed him in the balls for good measure. She disarmed him, removing his sword from the sheath at his hip, and cut Aurora's bonds.

"How did you do that?" Aurora blurted out, a look of pure consternation on her face.

"Years of practice," Emma replied, pleased that the moves had come back to her so quickly after being out of training for so long. "I took, and taught, women's self defense classes when I was younger." She pulled Aurora from the wagon, noting that there were other women already seated on the benches.

"Help me free them," Emma ordered stepping into the wagon, disarming the first thug and handing Aurora his blade. "Try not to hurt yourself," She added as an afterthought, and began cutting the women's bonds.

"Hey! You can't do that!" A rough, low voice snarled at them; the first thug had snapped out of his shock and stood, staggering towards them.

Emma brandished the sword and held it at his throat, gesturing for Aurora to continue releasing the women with her free hand. "Since I'm the one with the sword, I disagree," She stated, pressing it a little more firmly against his throat. The thug ground his teeth, backing off. He helped his friend up and Emma glared at them both, daring them to attack her. The two looked at the wagon one more time before looking back at each other and running off. She turned back to Aurora, who was still freeing the women. "This was supposed to be your safe haven?"

"It was supposed to be safe!" Aurora replied defensively, her lips pressed into a thin line. "I mean, it's in the middle of the forest, and according to Mulan no one knew it was here except the people that lived here! And there were supposed to be guards posted. This shouldn't have been possible."

"Where is Mulan anyway?" Emma asked, keeping her eyes peeled for trouble. "I drew the Ogre off and went back to the clearing and you two were gone!"

"Well," Aurora said, looking somewhat guilty. "What you did was brave, but it was also very stupid. We thought you were dead. We headed back here and the village was in mass chaos. Mulan took off, looking for someone. I tried to follow her but…" She trailed off, blushing. "I got captured."

"Okay ladies, out of the wagon! Hurry!" The woman jumped down, looking frightened and worse-for-the-wear. "Is there someplace you can go outside the village that would be safe?" The women shook their heads violently.

"Our village is the only safe place to stay!" One exclaimed.

"Well, clearly it isn't," Emma said bluntly. "We need to get you away from this wagon, in case those men come back. Come on," She ordered, steeling herself. "We need to go deeper into the forest – not too far, maybe just a few yards. But we need to get away from these thugs. Does anyone know a part of the forest outside the village that's even partially safe?"

"By the river bottoms, I guess," A young girl said, looking uncomfortable speaking up; she couldn't have been more than fifteen. "It's a few yards off, but it's pretty close to the village."

"Great!" Emma said, nodding encouragingly. "That's good. Lead them there. Can anyone wield a weapon of any kind, or does anyone know any martial arts?"

"My husband was a blacksmith," An older woman said nodding. "I know a thing or two about handling metal."

Emma nodded. "Okay, good." She took the sword from Aurora's hands and passed it to the woman. "You'll need to protect them as best you can."

"Where are you going?" Aurora asked, frowning. "It's not safe for you here either!"

"I need to find Mulan, and see if anyone else needs help. I'll send them to the river bottoms. Go!" The women took off in a sprint.

"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Aurora asked, hesitating.

Emma smiled warmly at her. "I'll be fine," Aurora nodded and hesitated only a moment longer before joining the other women. As she left, Emma briefly wondered if she had made a friend. Shaking it off, Emma turned back the battlefield. It hadn't been terribly difficult to decipher who were the attackers, and who were the villagers – the villagers looked relatively clean. Emma took a deep breath and ran into the fray, pulling thugs off villagers and disarming them, passing the weapons into the hands of the villagers and telling them to head to the river bottoms.

She did this several times, eventually losing count of how many people she had helped to their feet, how many thugs she had punched. Her knuckles were bleeding, and her feet ached, but she felt an inner-satisfaction with what she had achieved. She wasn't nervous anymore, as she had been when she first went into battle. She was riding the adrenaline high, and it felt good. And, in an odd, partially disturbing way, holding the sword in her hand felt more right than when she had ever held a gun.

"Well, well, well… So you're the one causing all the trouble," A voice said from behind her, and just like that Emma felt her initial nerves return in full force. She turned around to face the man speaking and felt a curious sensation tingle up her spine. The man was attractive, that much she could admit. His dark hair, his blue eyes, his stubble, the bad boy demeanor – they were all _much too much_ to her taste.

"I guess I am," Emma replied, taking note of his leather coat and the clothing he wore. The band of thugs standing behind him indicated that he was their ringleader, and that was enough to make Emma stand a little straighter, be a little more defensive. "And just a guess, but I take this," Emma gestured to the burning village. "Is all your doing?"

"Aye," He replied, with a smirk. "It's all my doing." He looked her over appraisingly, cocking his head to the side. "And you, are not from here are you? You're from the other world." There as something in his tone, a hint of excitement, that made her uneasy.

"No," She said, looking at him squarely, glaring at the men behind him. "I'm not."

"Well," He grinned cheerily, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You're a terrible liar. Since you're from the other world," He began, not seeming offended by her lie, and daring her to contradict him, "Then you don't know who I am. Allow me to introduce myself – My name is Killian Jones, though most men have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker: Hook." He bowed mockingly, the hook on his left hand gleaming against the raging fires.

"As in, Captain Hook?" Emma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, so you _have_ heard of me," He grinned, seeming pleased.

"Yeah, I have. Not terribly impressed," She retorted with a snide smile of her own. "Look, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be, I don't know, on a ship?"

"The world is a tough place to live in these days, and the merchant vessels that used to transport goods between kingdoms no longer exist, as the kingdoms themselves don't really exist anymore. With no ships to plunder, a pirate's got to make his living somehow. I've got a commission to fill from one of the few kingdoms that actually still exists,"

Emma frowned, thinking of the wagon full of women she had freed. "And your commission is, what, people? You're a slave trader?"

"Tough times," He replied, shrugging, his hand resting on his sword.

"Disgusting," Emma said, her lip curling in distaste.

"Boss!" The thug she had thrashed earlier came running from the trees. "The women in the wagon are gone!" He glowered at Emma, looking at her accusingly.

Hook followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow. "Well, where are they?"

Emma shrugged, smiling. "Couldn't tell you,"

"This isn't a game," Hook said, no longer smiling. "Our lives are forfeit if we don't return to the King of Hearts with his merchandise."

"Tough times," She replied, parroting his words back at him. "Guess you'll just have to come up with something else."

He inhaled sharply, sighing. "Sorry lads, looks like we'll have to hit another town on our way out. But we don't have to leave here completely empty handed," His smile returned, his lips curling into a smirk. "Take her."

The thugs moved forward slowly, all brandishing their weapons. Emma weighed her options, the likelihood of being able to fight them off, and the best way she could get out of this. Her lips twitching upwards into a smile, she said "You'll have to catch me first, and I think you're going to be a little too busy to do that. Good luck," She put her fingers to her lips and blew, hoping that this would work. A deep roar echoed back, and Emma met Hook's eyes one last time. She thought she could make out admiration. She took off in a run, fleeing before the thugs snapped out of their fear.

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**A/n: Whew! That was long. Anyway, I hope you liked it. Please leave a review for me – they are the best thing any author can receive, and they make me really, really happy. Please let me know your thoughts on things you like, and things you don't – structure, what you'd like to see more of, etc,. Also, was I the only one who thought that there should have been a little more lovin' between Charming and Snow? I mean, yes timing and all that, but they've been separated for 28 years and even as MM and David they were pretty low-key. Maybe it's just me. –shrugs-**

**P.S. Who else cannot fucking wait for 2x05? I keep watching the sneak peek over and over again. *SQUEE* HOOK.**


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